Method and means for providing scheduling for a videoconferencing network in a manner to ensure bandwidth

• US 7,437,463 B1
• Filed: 12/20/2002
• Issued: 10/14/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 06/21/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Polycom Incorporated (HP Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Polycom Incorporated (HP Inc.)
• Inventors: Atha, John Benjamin, Shugart, Jon, Valletutti, Michael J., Bentley, Stephen
• Primary Examiner(s): Avellino; Joseph E
• Application Number:
  US10/325,644
• Time in Patent Office: 2,125 Days
• Field of Search: 709217-219, 709227-229, 370259-261
• US Class Current: 709/227
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1818 Conference organisation arrangements, e.g. handling schedules, setting up parameters needed by nodes to attend a conference, booking network resources, notifying involved parties
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0213 Standardised network management protocols, e.g. simple network management protocol [SNMP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/06 Management of faults, events, alarms or notifications
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0896 Bandwidth or capacity management, i.e. automatically increasing or decreasing capacities flow or congestion control using dynamic resource allocation, e.g. in-call renegotiation, H04L47/76
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/22 comprising specially adapted graphical user interfaces [GUI]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0811 by checking connectivity
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/00 Routing or path finding of packets in data switching networks routing or path finding in wireless networks H04W40/00

Abstract

A method and system for scheduling and conducting videoconferences that ensure that the necessary bandwidth for the videoconference will be available and that select the least cost equipment to carry the videoconference. An embodiment of the present invention includes the steps of determining for a schedule request by a user if the necessary bandwidth to conduct a videoconference will be available. Also, the embodiment measures the performance of equipment and systems used to conduct the videoconference and determines if the equipment and systems are performing at a level necessary to conduct the videoconference. Alternative embodiments may include selecting multipoint endpoints to support the videoconference, scheduling videoconferences over two independent networks, emulating routers to ensure that the least cost route for the videoconference is selected, and responding to a scheduling request by informing the user to reschedule the videoconference when the network cannot support the videoconference.

Claims

1. A method for scheduling a videoconference over a network, comprising:

in response to a request to schedule a videoconference, determining if a sufficient quantity of bandwidth necessary to support the requested videoconference will be available on the network;

if a sufficient quantity of bandwidth is available, calculating a least cost route over which to conduct the videoconference, wherein calculating a least cost route comprises emulating a router protocol;

determining a port that has the least value as a network resource and is capable of conducting the requested videoconference;

reserving equipment along the least cost route and the least value port; and

monitoring the performance of the equipment along the least cost route by sending data packets along the least cost route to simulate data packets sent during a videoconference and determining network latency and jitter along the least cost route.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising determining whether the videoconference must be handled by a multipoint control unit.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising notifying a user if the quantity of bandwidth available on the network for the videoconference at the time specified in the scheduling request is not sufficient to support the videoconference.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising receiving a reschedule request in response to the notification.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising, if the measured criteria are not acceptable, sending a warning to one or more participants of the scheduled videoconference.